About

Me

Freelance writer and illustrator.

This Blog

Where ideas alight. A haven for short stories, sketches and other tiny stuff.

What’s In a Name

‘Sparking’, in my world, refers to that glorious state of mind where everything is a source of inspiration. Idea after idea washes over you, you’ve just got to decide which ones you capture, and which ones you let roll on by.

The latter part of the name comes from a book.
As a kid, experiencing moments of inspiration, streams of ideas, thoughts and fancies, I thought I was crazy. Until I came across a page in L. M. Montgomery’s Emily of New Moon –

It had always seemed to Emily, ever since she could remember, that she was very, very near to a world of wonderful beauty. Between it and herself hung only a thin curtain; she could never draw the curtain aside – but sometimes, just for a moment, a wind fluttered it and then it was as if she caught a glimpse of the enchanting realm beyond – only a gimpse – and heard a note of unearthly music.

– and it’s this moment that Emily calls ‘The Flash’. And that’s what showed me I wasn’t crazy, just creative.

What I’m Doing

Illustrating: Currently I’m having fun with botanical drawings. It’s not difficult to find interesting specimens, living in Queensland.

Writing: Novels. More than one, but less than five. I approve of doing things in batches.

What I’ve Done

I’ve been published by The School Magazine, Australia’s longest running literary magazine for children; a fine line, the New Zealand Poetry Society’s magazine; and the 4th floor literary journal, which you can read here and here. More recently, I’ve had pieces performed by Quart Shorts Literary Reading Nights in Adelaide.

Secret Aspiration

To design greeting cards.

*Montgomery, L. M., 1993 Bantam reissue, Emily of New Moon, A Bantam Book / publishedd by arrangement with Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc., New York

Where ideas alight. A haven for short stories, sketches and other tiny stuff.